Aluminium cartridge-case.



B. GASTENHOLZ,

ALUMINIUM CARTRIDGE GASE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.11, 1913.

1,1 14,228. Patented 0013.20, 1914.

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fgyat f :6 5 d1 i g 1 9w: Fly-5 U G UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIcE.

BERNARD CASTENHOLZ, 0F COLOGNE, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR T0 WIESBADE-NEB.STANIOL- & METALLKAPSEL-FABRIK A. FLACH, 0F WIESBADEN, GERMANY.

ALUmmIiIM CARTRIDGE-CASE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 11, 1913. Serial No. 741,526.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, BERNARD (\sTENiioLa, asubject of the German Emperor, and resident of (ologne-on-thc-Rhine,Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Aluminiumartridge-Cases, of which the following is a speclfication.

The object of this invention is to provide improved aluminium cartridgecases.

Hitherto numerous attempts have been made to make cartridge cases ofaluminium, as these afford considerable advantages and should meetrequirements, which however has not hitherto been attained in practice.The reasons for aluminium not having been used hitherto are owing to thenature of aluminium, which is soft, has but little ductility, and butlittle strength, and has a tendency to be torn under comparatively smallpressure. If cartridge cases made only of aluminium be used. there isdanger that they will become useless after being once used and that theywill adhere to the barrel of the fire-arm and cause considerable troublein the further use of the weapon. For these reasons it has hitherto beenimpracticable to employ these cartridge cases which are otherwise sodesirable on account of their small weight and their property of beingunaffected by atmospheric influences.

The present invention has for its object to provide aluminium cartridgecases which are free from all objections, and far su erior to ordinarycartridge cases, and whic 1 can be economically manufactured.

This invention is based on the recognition of the fact that a cartridgecase has, when the fire-arm is discharged. to resist the first shock ofthe explosion near the bottom of the case and if the cartridge case beentirely of aluminium it will fail in this respect. An aluminiumcartridge case is constructed according to this invention by providinthe part which has to withstand the first s ock of the explosion with anexternal mantle of a material stronger than aluminium and inside, at thesame part, an elastic ring which acts as a brake to the first shock ofthe explosion.

I will describe with reference to the accompanying drawing how thisinvention can be performed.

In the drawing :Figure 1 is a view of the body of the improved cartridgecase as initially formed; Fig. 2 is a similar view of the exteriorreinforcing means for the bottom of the case; Figs. 3 to 5 illustratethe several steps in the formation of the interior elastic ring for thecase; Fig. (3 is a view of a plug that forms the interior of the bottomof the completed case; Fig. 7 illustrates the manner of assembling theseveral elements; and Fig. 8 1s a view of the finished article.

The cartridge case consists of an alu minium caseawhich has a convexbottom 1). Over this convex bottom is placed an outer mantle c (Fig. 2)of a material stronger than aluminium,such, for instance, as brass. Asheet of steel, or other suitable metal, (l is shaped into an elasticring (Figs. 3, 4 and 5) which is driven into the case until it reachesto near the bottom thereof. A solid plug 6 (Fig. 6) of paper material,or the like, is then forced into the case by means of a compressing ramso that the convex bottom I) of the case a and also the convex bottom ofthe aforesaid mantle c are pressed flat. the surplus material spread outby this operation forming a projection f all around the bottom of thecase, as illustrated in Fig. 8. In this way the part of the cartridgecase which receives the first shock of the explosion is rendered soelastic and is so strengthened that the further pressure developed bythe ignited charge exerts no injurious action on the aluminium part ofthe case and an aluminium cartridge case is obtained which is entirelyfree from objection and may, if desired, be used over again and whichcauses no obstruction in the barrel of the fire-arm with which it isused.

Such an aluminium cartridge case is of great value especially intropical countries, where cartridge cases made of pasteboard are soaffected by climatic influences that,

after being kept a short timeythey become useless and are the cause ofgreat trouble to the user. They are easily spoiled by rain and moistureas they swell up and cannot be introduced into the barrel of thefirearm. Brass cartridges are not satisfactory because they are tooheavy and costly and present diificultics in the necessary flanging.Aluminium cartridge cases made according to this invention overcome allthese objections and difficulties.

The hereinbcfore described mode of construction and strengthening of theimproved aluminium cartridge cases are susceptible of considerablemodifications, the essential thing being that the cartridge case shallbe provided, at the part most l1able to in ury, with an externalresisting mantle and an internal elastic 'rin which, by taking up thefirst shock of 5'18 explosion, acts as a brake and finds its necessarysupport at the outer mantle.

If desired, the part of the aluminium surface up to which the powder ischarged in the cartridge case may be protected from contact with thepowder by a lining of paper, thin cardboard, or the like.

I claim:

1. Aluminium cartridge cases having the part which has to withstand thefirst shock of the explosion provided outwardly with a mantle ofmaterial stronger than aluminium and having, inside at thesame partthereof, an elastic ring which acts as 9.

brake to the first shock of the explosion; substantiall as hereinbeforeexplained.

2. A cartridgewicase comprising 8.118111- minium body, an elastic ringfitted within the body at the ottom thereof, and an auger shell surrouding the bottom of the 3. A cartridge case comprising an aluminium body,a split metal ring fitted within the body at the bottom thereof, and anexterior metal mantle surrounding thebottom of the aluminium body.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

BERNARD CASTENHOLZ.

Witnessesr FRANZ HAssLAcHnR, HERMANN SCHROEDEGE.

